Lee E. Schultheis

LEE E. SCHULTHEIS

ARKPORT-Lee E. Schultheis, 84, of Cream Hill Road, passed away, surrounded by his loving family, Thursday afternoon (Apr. 15, 2010) at Hornell Gardens.
Born in North Hornell on April 27, 1925, he was the son of the late Edward and Cary Venghaus Schultheis. On Sept. 23, 1947 he was married in Wellsville to the former Dorothy Baker, who predeceased him on Sept. 20, 2001 after 54 years of marriage. On Apr. 20, 2002 he was married in Arkport to the former Mae Merrill Friener, who survives. Besides his parents and his first wife, Dorothy, he was also predeceased by a sister, Marjorie Fisher.
A former resident of Wellsville, where he graduated from high school, Lee also attended Alfred University and St. Bonaventure University. He was a veteran of World War II and proudly served his country with the 104th (Timberwolf) Infantry Division in France, Belgium and Germany from 1943 to his honorable discharge in 1945. Lee was the recipient of two Purple Hearts, the American Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the Victory Medal, the European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and the Soldier’s Medal.
He has resided in Arkport for most of his life and was self employed as potato farmer and broker and also owned and operated a fertilizer business. In 1976 he established Schultheis Sporting Goods in Arkport and his son, Gary was his partner in the business from 1980 to 1992. Lee also established the Avon Gun Shop in Avon which he operated from 1994 until his retirement in 2002. He will be remembered for being a tireless worker.
His memberships included the Arkport Presbyterian Church, the Arkport Memorial American Legion Post No. 1248, the Arkport Exchange Club and the National Rifle Assoc. (NRA).
An avid hunter and fisherman, Lee loved to go deep sea fishing and trout fly fishing in Canada as well as pheasant hunting in Nebraska. He also enjoyed playing golf and was an accomplished skeet and trap shooter. Some of his other favorite past times included attending many reunions of the 104th Infantry Division and taking drives through the mountains of Pennsylvania.
His family includes his wife of eight years, Mae; his daughter, Barbara (Duffy) Elsenheimer of Arkport; his three sons, Gary Schultheis of Arkport; Alan (Cindy) Schultheis of Hornell and John Schultheis of Arkport; his two stepdaughters, Anne Nye of Penn Yan and Helen (Richard) Gray of Dansville; his stepson, James (Diane) Friener of Canaseraga; his nine grandchildren; 14 step-grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren and 23 step-great-grandchildren; his sister, Vera (Richard) Wiseman of Tacoma, Wash.; and his nieces, nephews and cousins.
Calling hours are from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. today (Sunday) at the Bishop & Johnson Funeral Home, Inc., 285 Main St., Hornell, where the Arkport Memorial American Legion Post will conduct a memorial service at 8:30 p.m. today (Sunday). Friends are invited to meet his family at the Arkport Presbyterian Church where a funeral service will take place at 11 a.m. Monday, with the Rev. Jamie Stevens of Danville officiating. Committal services and interment, with military honors, will follow at the Arkport Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, those wishing may contribute in his memory to either the Arkport Presbyterian Church, 15 Main St., PO Box 6, Arkport, NY 14807 or to the Wayland Fire Dept. and Ambulance Service, 14-18 Naples St., Wayland, NY 14572. Envelopes for memorial contributions will be available at the funeral home.